The events of the Texas school shooting are nothing less than horrific. One only has to think about the loss of young children to realize the horror.
I have opinions and things I would like to say. I am not an American. I am North American...Canadian. How much right does that give me to comment? Sometimes it's difficult to accept what others say about you and you can make the situation worse. On the other hand I have things I would like to say.
I would hope that everybody sees the horror of young children and adults being mowed down in a mass shooting. I would hope that people see the need for this carnage to stop.
After mass shooting events we have the same expressions. Some ideas are positive and would bring about some change. Other ideas are as irrational as ever. Politicians cannot seem to get together and agree on some basic laws to pass that may prevent some of the mass shooting. And then again some people want to keep laws the same as before. Don't change anything. They want to keep guns even if they are easily stolen by bad guys.
After this it gets complicated. Mental health plays a part. How much is mental health a factor? They don't know. I'm alarmed to find out that there are many games which involve shooting and killing people. When does this help someone to cross over into delusion?
Law enforcement agencies do not have an answer in any part of this complicated sick activity.
Some people always have mass shootings on their radar. Other people only think about mass shootings when it happens.
Some how all people have to put aside differences and look at a plan that will prevent the mass killing. Some may have to agree to things that they strongly disagree with but it has to be done to bring about some basic safety.
I believe that having guns is not the problem. Having assault weapons that are designed for one thing only, killing massive numbers of people as quickly as possible, is wrong. Ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines. That's my solution. It worked in Australia.
ReplyDeleteThat is one solution but I think other things need to be done.
DeleteYou said it all, very well. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteI agree with DJan. The biggest problem is the easy availability of assault weapons and high capacity magazines which allow the killing of large groups of people quickly. The shooter in Texas legally bought his assault weapon right after his 18th birthday. He also bought over 300 rounds of ammunition. There is a lot that needs to be done but I think banning assault weapons is the most important of all.
ReplyDeleteBanning of the assault weapons should be easy. Then they could start on some other solutions.
DeleteOver 1.5 million people have been killed by guns in this country over the years! Pathetic. Yet one particular group is busy banning books in schools, refusing to accept LGBT and worrying about Critical Race Theory which is only taught in college law classes!
ReplyDeleteYou're right . There's more than regulations on guns needed.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI do not think AR 15 weapons should not be in the hands of anyone except the military. It is sad they are expect the teachers to handle a crazed shooter. The shooter did not have a history of mental illness. He had a lot of anger and hatred. When our constitution was created the AR 15 assault weapons were not even thought of, guns since 1787 have changed drastically. Take care, enjoy your day!
I hadn't heard this idea before that guns have changed drastically over the years and as a result make laws obsolete.
DeleteWhat regular citizen in North America needs a weapon of war? It boggles the mind.
ReplyDeleteIt all boils down to money. Somebody is making piles of money.
DeleteAs an American, I welcome the ridicule of the world. Perhaps with enough people laughing at us, we can make changes needed to solve this problem.
ReplyDeletepeople can develop very thick skin. What normal people would feel as ridicule others just shrug off.
DeleteThe mind boggles over the lack of political will to do anything about this.
ReplyDeletethere are too many other political wills like getting reelected.
DeleteDJan is absolutely right. That small step, but it would have great impact. Furthermore, an 18 year old cannot buy cigarettes or alcohol...but he can buy an an assault weapon. It simply doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteMany ore making the same suggestion. It has obvious merit.
DeleteI often wonder what is it about the United States that makes mass killings happen as often as they do? I read lists of how many people are murdered by guns in my country. Why do these mass killings not happen as often in other country? GUNS. It's all about guns and the easy access to them. GUNS.
ReplyDeleteThere is also a culture of guns and killing is a big part of that culture.
DeleteDon't even get me started! I'm from Canada, now am an American too. It's beyond depressing and enraging and horrifying to repeatedly have to live through these senseless, preventable slaughter events in the US. There are no quick and easy answers. There are some straightforward things that need to be acknowledged up front:
ReplyDelete1) The US has 40% of all the guns owned in the world - 400 million. This means we have more guns than people in this country.
2) If, as gun rights folks like to spout off, guns make us "safer" then the USA would be the safest country on Earth. We're nowhere near that.
3) Simple and effective gun control laws can (and should) be passed. 90% of Americans (yes, that's 9 in 10 of us) WANT tighter gun laws.
4) Mass shootings went down when the assault rifle ban was in effect. When it was allowed to expire, mass shootings tripled. Do the math and refresh yourself on correlations.
5) Nobody outside of an active combat military service member needs to own anything remotely like an AR-15 or other automatic or semi-automatic assault weapons. These are weapons of WAR, not self-defense. Period.
6) In the US, you cannot legally buy cigarettes until 18, alcohol until 21 or rent a car until 25. Being able to legally buy weapons and ammo at 18 (or younger) is beyond ridiculous. The age of such responsibility needs to be increased to at least 21.
7) Severe penalties need to be in place, along with strong deterrents, for parents who may try to get around any gun laws and buy for their underaged children and provide them firearms. They should be held as guilty and responsible as any underaged person who uses such a weapon in a crime or attempted crime.
8) Many US law enforcement agencies are now at a distinct disadvantage against users of assault weapons - the criminals can out-gun the cops. I can't help but wonder how many armed officers in Texas last week were not keen on barging into that classroom knowing a kid was using an AR-15 against them. I'd hesitate too, though we know that wasn't the key reason why having a ton of armed officers on the property STILL didn't deter or immediately stop the killings.
9) What's clearly standing in the way of doing something, anything, useful about the out-of-control gun situation in the US is clearly the Republican Party. Hands down, they are a consistent and major roadblock to reform. Too many GOP members at any level (local, state, national - House or Senate) are lining their pockets with gun lobby money. Can't trust the Supreme Court either, now packed with GOP selected highly conservative justices who also are too quick to uphold the most extreme interpretation possible of the Second Amendment.
10) Americans MUST get united and get active and force the hand of the tyrannical minority (those GOP leaders I just mentioned) to try to get this country back on track. Meanwhile, it's a matter of days before we get the next blood-soaked headline...
Well it looks like I got you started. As always you have lots of info and it is well organized. there are many myths out there that contribute to the insanity. I think people have to keep on speaking up and you've done good job.
DeleteThanks for your thoughts on this, Red. I hope we can find the solution that works.
ReplyDeleteI think solutions have been found. It's just how do you put them into practice.
DeleteI doubt anything will be done because the gun culture is so strong. What will it take to change enough minds on this? Political leaders will continue to support assault weapons as long as their voting constituents return them to office. It's truly a tragedy.
ReplyDeleteI think you've hit directly on the reason why there is no change or movement on this issue.
DeleteThere are no current proposals for gun legislation that would have prevented this massacre. Problems run deep in terms of mental health issues, rage, evil, family disfunction (shooter living with his grandma), etc. Plus the police ignored the training as listed in Police Chief magazine which tells them to go in immediately to rescue. We need to support and fix our families.
ReplyDeleteToo many people want to dance around the issue. As long as they keep dancing little kids will die a horrible death.
DeleteI like the gun control measures your Prime Minister is calling for, but we will never get restrictions like those to pass here. I am discouraged.
ReplyDeleteOur prime minister is calling for regulations but what we get will be another thing.
DeleteOur only solution is to VOTE!
ReplyDeleteVoting is a biggy.
DeleteIt's horrifying. I can't even begin to imagine the grief the families who lost loved ones, the majority of the victims children, are experiencing.
ReplyDeleteI was encouraged to see that Canada is taking steps toward better controlling guns. If only the USA would follow suit.
ReplyDeleteIf Sandy Hook wasn't enough to convince the gun lobby to take a step back and reconsider their position, nothing ever will.
ReplyDeleteWe need to protect our children, we are not doing good with that. Schools need to be secure. The gunmen walk right into schools...arm the teachers? If those two teachers in Texas had been armed how many kids would have been saved? It is a sad situation, one that law makers cannot seem to get a grip on:(
ReplyDeleteI have been discouraged by the politicians on this issue for a very long time. I'm tired of their excuses and their diversionary tactics, tired of the propaganda, their endless machinations. We need to protect our kids better than this.
ReplyDelete